Neo-Camvonia
Government: Imperial Federation. Government Structure: The Emperor is the supreme leader of Empire, but there are also advisory bodies set up to represent the will of various peoples within the Empire. There is a Council of Nobles, consisting of 200 of the most distinguished noblemen in the empire. There is also a Council of the People, consisting of 300 seats. There are a few main political parties in this body: The Progressives 76/300 seats Head: Francis Berthien The Progressives believe in the power of steam over magic, and are constantly pushing for greater technological progress. They draw most of their support from the northern and coastal regions of Camvonia itself, where most heavy industry is centered. As the largest political party, the Speaker of the Council is a Progressive, and they wield significant influence over the choosing of new Council Members (CMs). Enemies: Luddites, Purists, Isolationists. Allies: Imperialists, Utopianists, Traders. The Imperialists 60/300 seats Head: Edward Suffor The Imperialists believe that Camvonia should take a more decisive role in the affairs of its former sphere and beyond. They advocate for a greater military, and are willing to embrace technological progress to achieve their aims. They also advocate for more tolerance, to further spread Camvonian influence. They draw most of their support from the nterior regions of Camvonia, and a little from the eastern Bare Isle. Enemies: Purists, Isolationists. Allies: Progressives, Traders. The Traders 56/300 seats Head: Michael Streck The Traders are a political party dedicated to advancing the interests of trade and commerce. They represent the trading guilds of Camvonia, and embrace new technology to achieve their aims. While they steer clear of most of the political intrigue, a personal feud between its head and the head of the Utopianists has caused them to be at loggerheads much of the time. They draw most of their support from the mercantile coastlines of both Imperial regions. Enemies: Utopianists, Isolationists, Purists. Allies: Imperialists, Progressives. The Isolationists 51/300 seats Head: Zils Stryk The Isolationists believe that Camvonia should stay out of the affairs of Noliterre at large, and instead focus on mending issues at home. While this strikes a sour note with the Progressives, it ha some appeal amongst the people, some of whom feel left behind by the rapid pace of change and wish for less competition from the outside. They generally draw their support from the more rural interior regions of Camvonia. Enemies: Traders, Imperialists, Progressives. Allies: Luddites, Purists. The Luddites 34/300 seats Leader: Connall Gervin The Luddites represent the extremely conservative elements of the populace who detest steam and wish to return to the old ways. In the past, the Luddites had much more popular support, but several damaging armed insurrections in the Bare Isle led by the party left many with a bad taste in their mouths, and support has mostly dried up in the wider empire. Furthermore, Luddites have been implicated in assassinations of leading Progressive figures, firebombings of factories, and even conspiracy against the throne, leading the government (behind closed doors, of course) to label them dangerous agitators. What support they have comes from the Bare Isle. Enemies: Progressives. Allies: Isolationists, Purists, Utopianists. The Purists 16/300 seats Leader: Hampton Sigs The Purists are arguably as conservative as the Luddites, advocating for a great purge of all non-Camvonians from the island. Essentially unhinged Isolationists, they enjoy a good relationship with their more rational cousin, even though the Isolationists resent the damage to their image that the Purists are doing with their radical rhetoric. They draw support from a very wide but very shallow pool spreading across all of the Empire. Enemies: Progressives, Imperialists, Traders, Utopianists. Allies: Luddites, Isolationists. The Utopianists 7/300 seats Leader: Goldor Deraf The smallest political party, the Utpoianists are pushing for an idealized version of society built on steam. This last viewpoint has been a sticking point for other, more powerful parties, and the Utopianists have not gained a significant number of seats in the last half century, though not through lack of trying. They mostly draw their support from the big cities in Camvonia. Enemies: Purists, Luddites Allies: Progressives. ECONOMY OF CAMVONIA: The economy of the Empire is based mainly off of trade and manufacturing. While it is rich in coal and iron, this is mainly for domestic use, and instead it usually imports raw materials and refines them in its world-class factories. IT also maintains a strong mercantile fleet, and its many trade connections bring in a lot of wealth. The Empire is extremely urbanized, and a large portion of the population work as artisans or skilled laborers. The introduction of farming machines killed the landowning gentry, and the new elites are the citie's scientists and intellectuals. Farmers and miners, both heavily using new technology, make a very good living. Camvonia uses the Universal Standard currency, which is the following: 1 Platinum=5 Electrum=10 Gold=100 Silver=1,000 Copper. Gold is like the dollar, Platinum is only used to measure the wealth of whole companies and nations, and Electrum is barely ever used. The average layperson usually has 1 or 2 silver with 6 or 7 copper in his pocket at any given time. Environment: Camvonia itself is a pleasant land of rolling hills and dramatic views of the sea. At the coast, cities clutter the landscape, but in the more rugged interior nature is unspoiled save for the occasional cloud of coal-smoke. There are a very few wild forests left in the interior, and these harbor mighty, ancient beasts such as the 7-legged Monmust and the Kaladon, said to be the fastest living thing in history. Mostly, though, the island is a tamed, cultivated place. The Bare Isle is very different. Is is a land of dead, stunted and shriveled vegetation, and very flat throughout. While there are come pleasant views near the coast, most of the island is dreary and depressing, and poor farmland to boot. The only native animals are some rodents; everything else was introduced from elsewhere. Culture: Camvonia's culture is pretty homogeneous. They all worship the Fallen One, and the values of that religion are the values of the people. For more, see the article on the religion.